Prof. Karina Yaniv, Department of Biological Regulation, explains why it is so important to understand embryonic development. Across life forms, development is similar; in fact, it can be hard to distinguish between embryos from different species. Because of this, she can study the development of fish – specifically, zebrafish – as a much-faster proxy for human development. Prof. Yaniv believes that once we understand this process, we can achieve milestones such as generating organs for transplant and boosting regeneration of damaged organs, such as hearts.
Prof. Yaniv’s lab focuses on development of the heart and blood vessels, as the world’s leading killers involve some kind of blood vessel malfunction. She also studies lymphedema, which frequently occurs in breast cancer patients after mastectomy.